


Fly Away Home

by K___Kelly



Category: Newsies!: the Musical - Fierstein/Menken
Genre: Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Drama, F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-01-25
Updated: 2019-02-01
Packaged: 2019-10-16 03:51:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,227
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17542139
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/K___Kelly/pseuds/K___Kelly
Summary: Manhattan's newest newsie reminds everyone of another newsboy they all know and love, but it's possible that their past is even darker and more mysterious than Jack Kelly'sCrossposted by the author (that's me) from fanfiction.net





	1. Chapter One

“Hey, HEY, pick on someone yer own size! Why dontcha?”

“Try an make me Kelly!” Oscar glared at the interfering newsboy.

The young boy in his grasp used this temporary distraction to his advantage, without hesitation he viciously jabbed his elbow into Oscar’s gut. With a gasp Oscar doubled over loosening his grip. The boy thrashed violently, squirming from his iron hold. But before he could taste freedom Morris Delancey made him taste his fist. Meanwhile the gray-capped newsboy had joined the fray. Just as soon as Morris had landed the punch he had one coming at his own jaw. 

“You okay kid?” Jack asked as he helped the kid up.

Eyes narrowed the boy refused to answer.

Jack shrugged and looked over his shoulder. “Come on we’se betta get outta here ‘fore the Delancies get their second wind.” 

He grabbed the kid by the shoulder and they took off running. In the distance they heard “Kelly! You good for nothing street rat ya wait ‘till Snyder hears about this then you’ll be sorry”.  
Jack just laughed and called over his shoulder. 

“Sorry boys I guess you weren’t invited to my party, when I turned 21, hah! Even if the old spidah could catch me he couldn’t keep in the Refuge no more”. 

When he turned back the kid was gone, out of the corner of his eye he could see him running down an alley towards Harlem. 

“Hey kid” he said as he caught up to the injured boy “where ya runnin to?” 

Without looking him in the eye the boy mumbled “nowheah much”. 

“Ya gotta name?” 

“Sam”

“Well, Sam howse about you come back to the lodging house with me insteada running off to ‘nowheah much’?”

“Why should I?”

“Bed, job, food, and the best family you could ask for.”

“Don’t need no family, but mebbe a job…”

“There, now we’se gonna talk to Kloppmann and by this time tomorrow you’ll be a Manhattan newsie!”

Sam smirked, obviously amused, and then grimaced his shoulder was aching, and his head was throbbing harder and faster than his heartbeat. Jack saw his face go pale.

“What’s the mattah?”

“Those Delancey’s got good aim and solid fists.”

“They was beatin on ya pretty bad, don’t worry Kloppmann will fix ya up. What hurts?” 

“Nothin really Ise just gotten soft.” 

Jack stopped in his tracks “hey kid, no one who can beat back the Delancey’s and go through a soakin is soft”.

Sam just shrugged trying not to wince at the pain it caused his shoulder.

“Ya sure you can walk okay you ain’t lookin too good?”

His voice sounded far away like they were in a tunnel, black specks blurred Sam’s vision, and then before he knew it everything went black. No sooner had the words left Jack’s mouth then he saw the  
kid crumple to the pavement. 

“Sam!”

Jack’s voice was full of concern, maybe the Delancies had hurt him worse than he thought. They were only a little ways from the lodging house. Without hesitation Jack picked up the boy and gently  
cradled him in his arms. He was surprised at the boy’s weight, he seemed to weigh less than Crutchie, but he was probably only a year or so younger. 

“Poor kid probably hasn’t had a decent meal in weeks” he murmured as he walked up the set of stairs that led directly to his ‘home’.”


	2. Chapter Two

“When’s he gonna wake up?”

“When he does stupid.”

“I ain’t stupid yer answer was stupid.”

“Race, Romeo, shut up the kid’s tryin to rest.”

“Hey Jack is he gonna be ok?”

“Sure he is Crutchie, you heard Kloppmann, nothing a little rest won’t fix?”

“Shh, I think he’s wakin up”.

She slowly opened her eyes and then shut them tight. The sight she had just seen was frighteningly unbelievable, she was completely surrounded by boys! She screwed her eyes shut tighter trying to piece together the events of the past several hours. Suddenly she remembered her encounter with the Delancies in the alley and the boy who had saved her and offered to take her somewhere. She guessed that was wherever she was now.

“Hey Sam how youse feelin?”

Sam why was this boy calling her Sam? And then she remembered that she wasn’t a girl anymore. She had cut off her hair and traded her dress for a pair of trousers, this was her new name; Sam. 

“Ise felt bettah, but Ise felt woise too”.

She cringed inwardly at the sound of her “accent” acting was something she was good at. She could mimic and blend in. But, this would be her most challenging role yet. She was sure that she had   
overdone it and had blown her cover. However, the boy just grinned down at her.

“Glad to heah it, feelin up for some dinner?”

At the mention of food her stomach growled. 

“Mebbe a littul.”

“Wanna come to Tibby’s with us it’s on Jack”. 

The boy mentioned who she now knew was Jack punched the other boy playfully in the arm.

“Well thanks Race for throwin me undah the bus! Course I’ll pay for his dinnah, but next time you offer to treat someone to dinnah make sure it’s on you.”

“Sure thing Jackie, in fact I woulda payed if my money hadn’t mystiehously disappeared.”

“Delancies?” Romeo guessed.

“Races”, Jack said shaking his head. 

The other boy just grinned.

“Hey they don’t call me ‘Racetrack’ for nuthin. What da they call you kid?”

With only the slightest bit of hesitation she responded “Sam”.

“Hey are you all done yakkin? Ise am starving over heah!”

Jack rolled his eyes “We hear ya Specs. So what da ya say Sam you up for dinnah?”

She shrugged and mumbled “I guess”.

“Alright then, boys make Sammy here feel at home I’ll meetcha at the lodging tonight I gotta meet someone for dinnah”.

All the boys starting oohing and making catcalls. Jack just grinned good naturedly.

“Shut ya traps.”  
\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 

“That there was some good eatin”

Humph, she thought to herself it would have been if she had been able to keep it down.

“What were ya doin out back Sammy?”

“None of ya business.”

“Ooh Sammy’s got hisself a goil already we should call him Romeo junior!”

She turned red involuntarily. Crutchie slung his arm across her back.

“Hey don’t worry ‘bout it you don’t have to say anything about it if ya don’t wanna”.

She flinched at his touch and muttered “yeah sure whatevah, just leave me alone and don’t touch me”.

“Ooh touchy are we” Race prodded. 

She struggled to keep her temper and lost.

“Ya wanna piece of dis?” She said holding up her fist.

“Whoa there I ain’t doin no harm!”

At that moment Jack walked in and saw the battle about to commence.

“Hey, break it up save those fists for the Delancies these heah are your bruddas.”

She pointed an accusing finger at Race and growled “he ain’t actin like a brudda he is actin like a jerk!”  
Jack glared at Race.

“Liah, Ise was just givin him a warm welcome.”

Jack crossed his arms unimpressed “verbally jabbin at da new kid ain’t bein warm or welcomin.”

Racetrack muttered something about “fancy words” and “not being able to take a joke”, but Jack chose to ignore it.

“So youse got yerself a newsie name yet Sammy?”

Her eyes were focused on the ground, angry, and scared she once again refused to respond. Crutchie stepped in for her. 

“Not yet Jack, we’se don’t really know him all dat well yet. Ya wanna tell us bout yerself Sam?”

She snorted “heck no.”

Crutchie shrugged unfazed by the response. 

“Suit yerself”

For about an hour she watched as the newsboys played cards, shot marbles, and generally acted like wild animals. How on earth was she gonna live with this? Cautiously she called out to the leader.

“Hey Jack”

“Ya need somethin Sammy?”

“Howse ‘bout dat bed ya promised me?”

“Sure thing, got one in mind?”

“I can jes choose!?”

“Sure, but the occupant may need some convincin to leave.” He said teasingly.

She rolled her eyes, but decided to humor him. She scanned the room and settled on a single bunk snuggled in a corner and shielded with a sheet. She pointed at it.

“Howse ‘bout that one?”

“Good choice, that one’s empty ‘cept when Les’ folks let him spend da night heah. I’ll ask Kloppmann to get it ready.”

“This Les kid won’t mind?”

“Nah, he’s gotta nice bed at home he won’t mind givin this one to a newsie in need.”

“I ain’t a newsie”

“Youse ain’t a newsie yet, but ya will be”. Jack ruffled her hair and she swatted his hand. He pulled back surprised.

“Don’t touch me!”

Jack struggled with a response, but chose to respect the boy’s request. A little sadly he responded

“Alright Sammy, I won’t.”

Suddenly they heard the door swing open and a loud heavily accented New York voice called out.

“Whose da new kid, Jack?”

Jack grinned at his friend.

“Hey dere Mouth! Davey meet Sam, Manhattan’s newest newsie.”

The boy walked over to her and reached out his hand in greeting.

“Pleased to meetcha”.

She looked at his hand distrustfully, and managed to mutter “Likewise.”

“This heah is my little brudda Les”

“Davey I ain’t little no more, I’se ‘most 14!”

“True but yer still my, lil brudda.”

She rolled her eyes at the sappiness and replied sarcastically.

“My pleasure.” 

Jack could sense the tension building so he chose that moment to break in.

“Les, Sammy here is gonna be sleep in yer bunk, I hope that’s okay wid you?”

Sam and Jack could see the flicker of disappointment in his eyes but he hid it well.

“No problem Jack, mebbe I can convince mother to let me use the roof at our place as my penthouse instead.”

Jack laughed imagining Mrs. Jacobs’ response to such a request. Davey shook his head.

“If mom lets you do that lemme know mebbe I can convince her to extend my curfew”

“So you can see a goil?”

“So I can finish my extra credit work.”

Jack rolled his eyes at Davey obviously this was normal behavior for ‘the Mouth’. She was impressed by this Les kid, not many people did stuff like that for her. 

“Hey kid”

“Yeah?”

“Thanks for da bed I can tell it meant something to ya.”

Les just shrugged as if it weren’t a big deal, but Jack knew that it was. His heart swelled with pride at the young boy’s selflessness. Without warning the door swung open again to reveal Kloppmann   
carrying a small pile of sheets.

“Lights out in ten minutes boys.”

There were collective groans around the room. Kloppmann chuckled to himself.

“I ain’t the one who has to be up at dawn dats you.”

“Come on Les we bettah be goin we just dropped in to say hello. Oh, Specs you done with dat book I lent ya?”

“Yeah, but I didn’t finish it the talkin was just too strange.”

Davey laughed as Specs handed back his worn copy of The Adventures of Tom Sawyer. He saw Sammy look at the book with obvious interest. So Davey being Davey offered it to him.

“Hey Sam, can you read?”

“Yeah, why?”

“Wanna read dis?”

“I guess.”

“Here”.

He handed her the book, she relished the feel of the cover. It felt like ages since she had held one. Breathlessly she replied. 

“Thanks.”

Davey smiled, glad to have pleased the sullen newsie. 

“See ya tomorrow boys bright an early”

Les chimed in “Carrying da banner”.

Davey laughed as they walked out the door. Almost in shock Sam opened the book, but before she started to read it she retreated to her bed. Her bed she could hardly believe it she could not remember the last time she had a bed. Specs opened his mouth in her direction as if to say something, but was silenced by her glare.

“Nobody bother me or theyse gonna get dis” she said holding out a fist.

She closed the sheet behind her it was thick enough to change behind, but for now she just wanted to lose herself in the story. She was just finishing up the part where Sid rats on Tom when the sheet snapped open. Without thought or hesitation her fist shot out, her eyes were wide with fear.

“OW! Sam! Ise just, ouch gonna tell ya that it’s time for bed.” 

She cringed this time outwardly. Her fist had collided with Jack’s nose which was now bleeding profusely.

“Sorry Jack! You startled me.”

He held his hand over his bloody nose and asked exasperatedly

“Who didja think it was?”

Something flashed in her eyes, he thought it was fear, or maybe a memory. His heart went out to the boy and his anger died out.

“Ise am real sorry Jack I don’t know who I thought it was I just…”

He cut her off abruptly.

“Its fine I knowse you were a little jumpy after yer encounter with the Delancies. Just warn me next time yer fist is coming and I’ll duck.”

She was amazed he was not angry in fact he even made a joke about it? What kind of boy was this?

“Don’t worry it won’t happen again. Do you want me to get Kloppmann for your nose, is it broke?”

“Nah, it ain’t the first time I’ve dealt with a bloody nose and Ise am pretty sure it won’t be the last. I’ll be fine. Sleep well kid.”

Once again he did not respond.

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Jack, JACK wake up!”

Jack woke up with a start Crutchie was shaking him awake.

“Crutchie what’s the matta with you? Why youse wakin me up in the middle of da night?”

“You were screaming, having a nightmare Jack.”

“No I wasn’t.”

“Yes you were I just heard you!”

“Crutch, trust me I would know if Ise was havin a nightmare”

“Then who was it?”

“I dunno maybe you woke yerself screaming.”

“That ain’t it I was havin a nice dream.”

“Well then I don’t who it was and at dis hour Ise don’t care. If ya hear it again do me a favah and don’t wake me ‘til you know whose screamin okay?”

“I will, sorry Jack, and hey what happened to your nose?”

“Stupid story I’ll tell ya in the morning. Night Crutch.”

“Night Jack.”

She clapped a hand over her mouth, cold beads of sweat trickled down her face. She did not want to close her eyes she could not bear to see the horror again. Instead she pulled out her book and tried   
to continue reading Tom Sawyer by the moonlight. But tonight the sky was lit only by a crescent. Scared to sleep, she got up silently and made her way across the room. She slipped out the door without making a sound, not that a creaky door would be heard above the sound of a dozen or more newsboys snoring. For a few seconds she stood in the hallway then she spied a door that was leaking a sliver of precious moonlight. She opened it and cautiously climbed the staircase behind the door. At the top she discovered that she had climbed out onto the roof! She laughed out loud, giddy with the height and the freedom that her climb had yielded. The night air was fresh and crisp, and even though the moon was small she could see it just like always; hanging in the sky like a lamp. But tonight it looked like a shattered fragment of a lamp that once was.

“Just like I am a shattered piece of the girl I once was and the life I once had.”

She said it out loud unafraid of being heard, it felt good to tell someone who she was even if it was just the moon. She said it without her “accent” and without trying to sound like a boy. She said it with her own voice, a voice that she heard so seldom. Eventually, the sweet freedom of the night sky and the soft glow of the moon lulled her back to sleep. And her sleep was sweet and without any dreams.


	3. Chapter Three

Jack woke up about half an hour earlier than the other newsies, just like always. He liked to have this time to himself to think. Like every morning he had lived at the lodge he climbed up onto the roof to watch the sun as its rays began to peek over the skyline. This time however something was different.

“Hey you, who are ya and whatcha doin up heah?”

Sam woke with a jolt. She saw Jack, got up and quickly made her way toward the stairs.

“Oh hey, Sammy it’s just you. You don’t hafta leave I was jes surprised someone was up heah before me.”

“Ise don’t wanna botha you, ‘specially after I socked you last night. Ise am sorry, and I won’t come up heah no more.”

“There ain’t no crime in wantin a breath of fresh air.”

He put his arms out and looked from one corner of the roof to the other.

“Welcome to my penthouse.”

“Youse is crazy.”

“Crazy for wantin a breath of fresh air, crazy for wantin to see the sky?”

He paused.

“Did you evah live somewhere with sky?”

She sighed, there was sky in New York, but she knew that wasn’t what he was talking about. He was talking about the sky that stretched endlessly above and was clear and blue and… He interrupted   
her thoughts with another question.

“Was it pretty?”

“Pretty? In my eyes at least it was beautiful. There was so much sky it seemed to go on forever and it was bright blue, not gray like the sky heah.”

Jack closed his eyes trying to imagine a bright blue endless sky.

“Where did ya live?”

She hesitates and then whispers her response.

“Santa Fe.”

“You’re kidding?”

“No why?”

“That’s why I used to come up heah, to dream about Santa Fe.”

“Used to?”

“Ise got a new dream now.”

“So why ya still heah?”

“Same as you, the city sometimes chokes you and ya gotta get away.”

“How do you know that’s the reason why I’m up heah?”

“Ain’t it?”

She closed her eyes contemplating a response, but chooses to leave the question hanging.

Jack sighs, he is not sure what it will take to get through to this boy. A few of the other newsies had come in like this angry or bitter, but it hadn’t been long before they opened up to him. In fact he knows of only one other newsboy who guarded himself and his secrets as fiercely as this kid.

“Come on time to start you’re on the job trainin.”

“Just tell me what I need to do, I can figure out the rest.”

“Bein a newsies ain’t that easy Sam, you gotta learn how to improve on da truth. And always remember headlines don’t sell papes newsies sell papes. Got it?”

She shrugged.

“Sure.”

“Then come on let’s get out there and sell!”

Jack got up opened the door leading to the staircase and started walking down yelling at the top of his lungs.

“Newsies UP OUTTA BED! Those papes don’t sell themselves.”

Crutchie woke up smiling, it had been awhile since he had woken up to the sound of Jack rousing the newsboys. Not since…

“Race, I’m chargin you with teachin Sammy heah the ropes.”

“Aye, aye Capn Jack!”

“And I’ll be putting Davey in charge of makin sure you an Sam don’t rip out each other’s throats.”

Race puts a hand over his heart feigning shock.

“Us? We’se would nevah do dat. Right Sammy boy?”

She smirked.

“It don’t seem like such a bad idea.”

Race started to protest, but Romeo cut him off.

“Quit whinin Ise gots ladies to meet and papes to sell.”

“Alright newsies? HIT DA STREETS.”

Every newsie was lined up outside the distribution center faster than you can say “Seize the Day”. Race was telling Sam about improving the truth.

“Now, Ise not sayin lie or nuthin just improve on da stories. Take this for example.”

He snatched one of Romeo’s papers and pointed out a story.

“Fire raged, but none were injured, to sell a headline like dat you gotta add a couple casualties, maybe even a tragic death if you’re good.”

“Hey Race.”

“Yeah Romeo?”

Romeo snatched back the paper.

“Get your own pape!”

Race put his hands up in defeat.

“Come on Sammy boy let’s get ourselves some papes. Hey you got fifty cents?”

“Fifty? I ain’t got ten.”

“Heah’s ten, but I expect full repayment for my generosity.”

“Yeah sure, how much for a pape?”

“Two for a penny.”

“Huh so ten cents will buy me twenty papes that seems like a good amount to start with.”

“Ooh you gots some learnin, don’t tell Davey or he’ll be tryin to getcha into school.”

Race shuddered at the very idea. Sam just glared at him

“I hope Davey gets heah soon.”

“How come?”

“Youse gonna need someone to pull me off ya, if you keep pokin fun.”

“Sammy, Sammy youse gotta loosen up, take a joke. Hey Weasel fifty papes foah me and twenty for Sam heah.”

Her eyes grew wide in recognition; the boy behind the counter next to ‘Weasel’ is a Delancey. He leans over the counter and sneers in her face. 

“Oh, so the alley rat’s got hisself a name eh?”

Her blood boiled she hated him for scaring her in the alley last night, and for beating her into the pavement.

“Youse gonna need yerself a doctah when Ise is through with you scum!”

Oscar scowled and grabbed the boy’s collar. Race shoved him aside.

“Lay off Delancey he’s new, and ‘sides didn’t you beat on him enough last night?”

Oscar glared at Sam and backed away, but the gleam of revenge was still in his eyes.

“Les Ise told you that Mother wants us home for lunch we’ll go to Tibby’s anudda time.”

“Oh Davey thanks goodness your heah! Sammy heah was just about to get hisself a little too well acquainted wid Oscar and his brass knuckles.”

“What am Ise supposed to do about it?”

“Give him Jack’s Delancey speech ya know the one he always gives da new kids.”

“Oh got it. Make sure to count your papes, ‘cause you know Oscar Delancey can’t count to twenty with his shoes on!”

Race smacks his forehead.

“Not that one idiot! We’se already got him mad enough the odda one.”

“Oh, try to avoid dem Delancey bruddas they’se likes to soak any newsies they can catch.”

“Thank you! There you heah that Sammy boy? Stay away from dem, and if you can avoid it don’t make ‘im mad.”

“Yeah I heah youse, I’ll stay away from dem long as dey stay away from me.”

Race shook his head, they were going to have to keep on an eye on this kid, he sure likes to stir up trouble just like another newsie he knows. 

“Davey please tell me Jack remembered to charge ya with us.”

“Yeah he said to make sure you two didn’t kill each otha, but he didn’t say anythin ‘bout the Delancies.”

Sam ignored them, the Delancey brothers didn’t scare her anymore, not in broad daylight anyway. Though she would have liked to sock Oscar in the nose for the number he did on her last night. 

Suddenly though she hears yelling coming from the distribution center.

“Hey give me back my crutch!”

“Ooh the crip wants his crutch back, well Kelly ain’t heah to get it back for ya. So whatchya gonna do about it.”

This was the last straw, those Delancey brothers were asking for it.

“He ain’t gonna do nuthin about it, but I is!”

With that she walked back over. Hauled back and punched Morris Delancey in the nose and snatched back the crutch. Oscar stepped over the counter.

“That’s it boy, I let you off once but I ain’t doin it again.”

Sam laughed mockingly.

“Oh yeah well you gotta catch me to soak me!”

With that she took off running, Oscar and Morris were close on her tail, but she knew she was faster than either of them. After ducking down a few alleys and backtracking a couple times, she paused to   
listen for the sounds of pursuit. There were none, so she settled herself near the base of a statue and began her first day of ‘carrying the banner’. Her voice was loud and the headlines err her headlines anyway were good. Her shouts attracted many customers and the ‘improvements’ sold most of her papers before lunchtime. 

“I guess I should head over to Tibby’s for lunch, if I don’t Ise got a feelin the boys will scour da streets for me.”

It was a nice thought having someone caring about you. And like it or not she was starting care about those boys. Still, she could care without giving herself away. She was sure that she could be their brother, still she was afraid of getting too close and being caught. Sam walked back over to Tibby’s and spotted Race, Romeo, and Davey sitting outside looking anxious.


End file.
